See and Be Seen

Access Pittsburgh (11/20)

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Tis the season!

Pittsburgh’s 60th year of Light Up Night was canceled due to COVID-19, but festive staples are still popping up around town.

For starters? The 105th annual lighting of the Pittsburgh Christmas tree. You can watch this ceremony from your home Friday, Nov. 20 at 7:30 p.m. from the comfort of your home. The city will stream the lighting on the city’s social media accounts, including the YouTube channel.

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will perform, as well as the Duquesne University Vocal Jazz ensemble.

This year’s 33-foot spruce tree is from Pittsburgh’s Crawford-Roberts neighborhood and will be on display through early January.

#Pittsburgh will officially kick off the holiday season with the 105th Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony this Friday. In...

Posted by City of Pittsburgh - Office of the Mayor on Monday, November 16, 2020

The Rink at PPG Place returns!

Lace up your skates and glide around the spectacle of downtown Pittsburgh’s 65-foot illuminated Christmas tree this holiday season outside PPG Place!

The Rink at PPG Place was expanded by 25% this year and is open for the holidays starting Nov. 20.

Admission will be limited to local guidelines for outdoor gatherings. Capacity will be monitored and online ticket services have been established in order to mitigate exposure.

COVID-19 protocols will include:

  • Maintain 6′ distance while waiting in line.
  • Masks must be worn when entering the skate rental area and outside when social distancing is not possible.
  • Temperature checks will be performed prior to entering the skate rental area.
  • Frequently touched surfaces will be cleaned and disinfected often.

[More information on The Rink at PPG Place can be found here.]

WPXI Holiday Parade celebrates 40 years with parade retrospective

It isn’t the holiday season without a Pittsburgh tradition: The WPXI Holiday Parade!

The parade is not physically happening this year due to the pandemic, but we are keeping the tradition alive through a holiday special.

The WPXI Holiday Parade Celebrating 40 Years is a two-hour retrospective highlighting the many magical moments that made up the annual WPXI Holiday Parade. Countless celebrities, marvelous marching bands, fabulous floats, dazzling dance groups and billowing balloons have made the WPXI Holiday Parade a must-see Pittsburgh tradition since 1980!

Also known as the Celebrate the Season Parade and My Macy’s Holiday Parade, the event has always featured something for kids of all ages!

Join us as we take a look back at some of the most memorable parade moments, including celebrity interviews, singing and dance performances, huggable mascots and more.

The special will air on Nov. 28 from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. on WPXI-TV, wpxi.com, the WPXI News mobile app for iOS and Android and our WPXI Now streaming apps for Apple TV, Roku and Amazon Fire.

Thanksgiving meals to-go

Thanksgiving is next week and may look different for people this year who are scaling back the size of their celebrations.

If this is you, you may be wondering what to do about that delicious meal. Lucky for you, many chain and local restaurants are open on Thanksgiving for those who want to spend time with loved ones instead of spending time in the kitchen, and they are offering ready-to-eat meals.

Bucca Di Beppo, Boston Market, The Capital Grille and Cracker Barrel are a few on that list. See even more participating restaurants and deals here.

West Penn Hospital Babies honor “Toy Story” 25th anniversary

Adorable babies at Allegheny Health Network (AHN) West Penn Hospital are honoring the upcoming 25th anniversary of Toy Story by dressing up as some of its most beloved characters!

The hospital says they hope that the little ones’ dreams will take them to infinity and beyond, and they’ll always have a friend in them.

Toy Story’s 25th anniversary is Sunday, Nov. 22.

Days Of Our Lives celebrates 55th anniversary

“Like sand through the hourglass so are the days of our lives.” Even if you don’t watch it, you know the iconic line is from NBC’s longest-running drama series, “Days of Our Lives.”

The show is celebrating its 55th anniversary this year with a first-of-its-kind VIRTUAL fan event on Nov. 21. Anyone with access to the internet can join in, completely free of cost, as Days continues its tradition of connecting with fans in a new way.

Before the celebration airs, we sat down with the legend herself, Deidre Hall and Eric Marolf to talk about the virtual fan event, 14,000 episodes, favorite moments and their decision to not include the coronavirus pandemic in new episodes.

Click HERE for our interview, and don’t miss the fan celebration Saturday.

FOR MORE ON OUR TOP STORIES CHECK OUT WPXI.COM/SEEANDBESEEN AND WATCH OUT FOR NEW EPISODES OF ACCESS PITTSBURGH EVERY FRIDAY ON SEE AND BE SEEN SOCIAL CHANNELS.

[We will not have a show on Nov. 27 due to the Thanksgiving holiday]